Photographing Fido

The lovely and talented Kristin Eldridge recently photographed our family for our holiday card in Long Beach. When I asked her about business and the latest and greatest, she mentioned she was having fun recently photographing family dogs in her family photo shoots and I thought this was hilarious!

I don’t have a dog, but I have friends that do, and I have seen firsthand how their dogs are not really pets, they are actually family members.

I thought what a cute concept! And then I thought a lot of my readers would be interested in learning tips on how to include your family dog in your family photo. So I asked her to send me some thoughts on “photographing Fido!” Here is what she writes…

“I was talking with a client over the phone, planning out the details for her family photo session. We were just wrapping things up when she chuckled and added, “OH and we need a photo of us with Elvis…he was the experiment.“

She went on to tell me how Elvis, the family dog, really was part of the family. He was their first child, hence the whole experiment comment! Apparently the experiment worked, because now the family includes Elvis AND two beautiful little girls.

Now that Elvis was in the picture, we talked about the kind of pictures she wanted. Maria wanted a very natural feel and so this went perfectly with the idea of including Elvis in the photo shoot.

So Maria and I discussed several locations and ended up deciding on ‘Dog Beach,’ a strip of sand in Huntington Beach that is dog friendly. Elvis was used to going there and knows the drill. We got some great photos with the girls and Elvis throwing the ball and playing in the water….something he’s used to doing.

So my first piece of advice would be to choose a location your dog is familiar with.If we would have chosen a location that Elvis hadn’t been before, he might not have been so cooperative!

Another important reminder is to be realistic about your type of dog and the type of photos you hope to get! It’s hard to have a very formal photo with everyone smiling at the camera when the dog is only concerned with someone throwing a frisbee on the other side of the park! Because sometimes dogs are like kids…THEY DON’T LISTEN!

Another great idea would be to start the photo shoot at your house, then drive to a second location for the second half of your photo shoot without the dog.

These are just a few tips for great family photos, including the family pet! “

If you are interested in being blessed by Kristin’s talent photographing YOUR family this year for your holiday photo (with your dog or without!) visit her at www.kristineldridge.com or call her at 562.980.6480.